Marlins 5, Giants 4
SAN FRANCISCO -- J.T. Realmuto broke an eighth-inning tie with a home run, his fourth hit of the game, and reliever David Phelps escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the bottom of the eighth Sunday afternoon, lifting the Miami Marlins to a 5-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
The Giants failed to record what would have been their first three-game home sweep of the Marlins since 2001.
Even after losing the first two games of the series, Miami owns a 16-9 record at AT&T Park since 2010.
Realmuto hit the eighth pitch delivered by left-hander Josh Osich (0-1) into the left field bleachers for his first home run of the season and 11th of his three-year career, giving the Marlins a 5-4 lead.
The catcher earlier had two singles and a double, and he finished 4-for-4, his second career four-hit game. The other came last season on June 5 at Colorado.
Phelps, the fifth Marlins pitcher, was called upon in the bottom of the eighth to protect the one-run lead and issued walks to Brandon Crawford and pinch hitter Denard Span sandwiching a single by Gregor Blanco.
However, the right-hander turned a comebacker by Angel Pagan into a home-to-first double play, then struck out Joe Panik to preserve the lead.
Kyle Barraclough (1-0) pitched a scoreless seventh inning. Closer A.J. Ramos tossed a one-hit ninth for his third save.
The Marlins, who were thumped 8-1 and 7-2 in the first two games of the series, held 2-1 and 4-2 leads early in the Sunday game. Giancarlo Stanton's solo home run, his fourth of the season, put Miami up 2-1 in the fourth.
Left fielder Christian Yelich drove in two runs, threw out Pagan at the plate in the fifth inning and lined a ninth-inning single that allowed him to reach base for the 17th consecutive game to open the season.
Stanton finished with three hits. Dee Gordon compiled two hits, two stolen bases and two runs, and Marcell Ozuna added two hits for the Marlins, who totaled 14 hits against five Giants pitchers.
The Giants rallied to tie the score at 4 with a two-run sixth inning, knocking out Marlins starter Adam Conley in the process.
After Conley left with two on and two outs, pinch hitter Brandon Belt greeted right-handed reliever Bryan Morris with a run-scoring single to get the Giants within one.
Pagan then drove in Blanco with a single to produce a 4-4 tie.
Conley was charged with all four runs in his 5 2/3 innings. He allowed seven hits and four walks while striking out two.
Giants starter Matt Cain also didn't factor into the decision. He went 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on 10 hits. He walked two and struck out four.
Hunter Pence delivered one of San Francisco's first two runs with a fourth-inning solo home run. It was just Giants' third home run in their past 10 games.
Pence, Pagan, Panik and Blanco had two hits apiece for the Giants, who last swept a three-game series from the Marlins on May 4-6, 2010, in Miami.
NOTES: Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton provided a pregame highlight when he belted what is believed to be the first ball ever to clear the AT&T Park bleachers in left field. The ball landed in a children's play area an estimated 500 feet from home plate and bounced into the players' parking lot, where it was retrieved by a parking-lot attendant. ... Not only had Giants RHP Matt Cain allowed 11 fifth-inning runs in his first three starts, but opponents batted 14-for-19 (.737) against him in the inning. ... The Giants began the game 8-0 when they have out-hit their opponent, and 1-9 when they have been out-hit. ... The Marlins expect to have 3B Martin Prado (paternity leave) back in the lineup during their four-game series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers that begins Monday night. ... The Giants will cap a 10-game homestand when they host the San Diego Padres in a three-game series opens with ace LHP Madison Bumgarner on the mound Monday night.